


Distant Euphoria

by simplycec



Category: Purple Hyacinth (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pining, like a lot of pining, poetic if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24281590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplycec/pseuds/simplycec
Summary: In which William Hawkes learns what it's like to have taken things for granted.
Relationships: William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	Distant Euphoria

Will never realized how much he yearned for Kym till he couldn't see her. He would often complain about how unbearable she was and how her daily shenanigans were the least amusing, yet when he was met with her absence, he found the need to justify the emptiness within the office.

The morning had been blanketed by a rare quiet that the lieutenant didn’t mind—at first, anyway. As the clock marched on, however, the silence became deafening, and Will couldn’t help but notice the lonesome absence of his sergeant.

“Lauren, where’s Kym?” He had asked, worry laced in his voice as the most tragic of scenarios played before his mind in a frenzy. Perhaps she fell ill, or perhaps she was attacked. The recent rise in Phantom Scythe activities did nothing to tame his dread.

“Hermann asked her to run some errands through town,” she reassured, shooting him a small smile. “Don’t worry, she’s fine.” 

With that note of comfort, he carried on with his work despite the uncomfortable peace. Eventually, he zoned out the empty presence as his focus overpowered out the noticeable quiet, till he nearly forgot that Kym wasn’t there. Nearly.

He was about to call for her, wanting to ask her to deliver some paperwork, yet as Kym’s name escaped his lips in a whisper, he had the displeasure of being reminded that she wasn’t there. His mood instantly fell once more, a small ache beginning to crescendo in his chest before he could stop it. 

He didn’t quite understand why her absence hurt. It shouldn’t—it wasn’t the first time she was called to duties, yet that morning seemed different. It was an enigma that William never bothered to find an answer for.

~~~

They returned from their mundane patrol (minus their sergeant) and went right back to filing through their reports. Though their activities remained the same, the lieutenant felt an empty sting residing in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, he continued to work till he was distracted enough to ignore the unfilled quiet again.

Drowning in papers and reports, his eyes never once flickered to the clock. Time passed by without a thought to spare, not like he noticed anyway. He was finally oblivious to his sergeant’s lack of presence—even if only momentarily.

The door burst open like thunder, and Will had regretted the way his heart jumped once he caught sight of who it was.

“I’m back, peasants!” Kym announced, her smile beaming as heads whipped around in shock. “Did you miss me?”

_I did._

“No,” Will replied flatly, and though his heart cried at his stubbornness, he didn’t spare her another glance as he looked back to his papers. “You have no idea how peaceful it was.”

She didn’t respond, opting to prance over to her beloved Lauren instead without paying the blond much mind. His heart had bent ever so slightly at her lack of reaction, though suppose he deserved it. He didn’t let the disappointment reach his features, his pride too gung-ho for her to see the softer sides of him he had reserved for her. 

Still, Kym was back in the office, ready to dip her co-workers in her sunlit brilliance like she did every day. 

He impulsively peered at her from where he sat.

His second-in-command was smiling freely at Lauren, arms wrapped around her shoulder as she rambled on about whatever she could talk about. Will never realized how much of a July face Kym had.

He looked away before his staring became evident.

At the very least, she was back in the office.

“Sergeant Ladell?” Her walkie-talkie blared, static wringing apart the cozy air. “We need you to take over recruit training this afternoon.”

William didn’t catch onto the rest. The poignancy flooded his chest as he tried with every ounce of his being to hold back the oncoming frown threatening to form.

She left with a bright goodbye.

~~~

He walked towards the break room to retrieve more coffee. He lost count of how many cups this was.

Will tried to keep a straight back, yet his energy continually drained as the hallways started to dull in color and vibrancy. They all looked the same anyway. The corridor was empty, as were the Ardhalis streets outside. It was a sunny day, though he didn’t care for the cloudless sky.

Perhaps he was just in a bad mood.

All the more reason for another cup of coffee.

From his peripheral, he saw a smaller figure turn the corner with a reckless abandon. It didn’t take long for him to recognize who it was, nor did it take long for the walls and sky around him to bloom in colors.

Kym didn’t seem to notice him, so he reached out to grab her wrist right before she could walk past him. 

When she turned to face him, the way her eyes melted from confusion to familiarity once she saw Will made him feel sunny inside out. 

She looked blessed by summer.

“I’m in a rush right now,” she said before he could get a word in. “I’ll talk to you later.”

And like that, she left him once more. He didn’t even get to say “hi”.

He hated the sting of recognition as he watched her walk away from him. 

~~~

By the time Kym had returned to the office, their shift was already over. She had said that she would stay behind to finish up her work, and that Lauren and Will should go home without her.

When Lauren replied that she had errands to run, Will had turned down Kym’s proposition adamantly, suggesting that he stay back to accompany the sergeant in her lonesome. 

After the incident with Harvey, Will despised the idea of Kym being alone in the office at night.

When their auburn-haired friend had shot him an eyebrow raise paired with a teasing smile, he coughed and claimed that he wanted to get a head start on work anyway.

That was a lie that even he couldn’t believe.

Nonetheless, Kym hadn’t put up a fight, and rather shrugged her shoulders and took a seat at her desk. The sergeant dug straight into her pile of papers without her usual complaints—it seemed that she was lacking the energy anyway. 

They got to their work soon thereafter, and though it was quiet, Kym was there with him. That’s all that mattered.

The night lights sunk into the dimly lit office, and for a moment, they got to be at peace. Will was never familiar with what it was like to dip his fingers into euphoria, though he had an idea of how it felt every time she made a god-awful joke or pulled one of her otherworldly antics. He would complain, yet he never began to realize just how much he longed for them. 

It was late into the night, and Kym had barely spoken a word. It seemed that she was too engrossed in her work.

Will snuck a glance at her, and somewhere within the in-betweens, a glance turned into a gaze.

She was soaked in the moonlight, yet the lamp that stayed lit on her desk provided a mellow glow against her seemingly-soft cheeks. She looked different when she was focused, but she was stunning either way. A sight for sore eyes, she was. Even so, he took notice of her nodding off in exhaustion every now and then, and he was reminded that she hadn’t taken a single break just yet. He had barely even spoken to her.

His chest was sinking and bending for the girl before him, and he doubted she would ever be aware. Still, the ache to hold her close against him nearly tore his heart in two, yet he remained resilient. 

_I haven’t seen you all day._

“Kym,” he called, and though he hadn’t meant for it to happen, adoration slipped into his voice as her name rolled off his lips like a promise.

“Yeah?” The girl’s head perked up in curiosity, her wildfire hues peering at him with innate curiosity. 

_I missed you._

“You don’t have to finish it all today,” Will sighed, tidying his paperwork as he stood up from his chair. “It’s getting late.”

Her eyes lit up enthusiastically as she broke out in a grin, and when she started praising him for how kind he was, he acted like he didn’t care and merely rolled his eyes.

They grabbed their coats and headed for the door, walking side by side with Kym more ardent than he had expected. 

She was blabbering about whatever, yet he couldn’t help but notice how precious her smile was. Her lips were painted with lilies, and the way she’d grin crookedly made him fall so tenderly he forgot what it meant to bleed.

Before he could find the self-restraint, his hands glided up to pinch her cherry-coated cheeks. 

Her words immediately died on her lips as she peered up at him, caramel-spun eyes mixed with confusion as he took notice of the street lamp reflections glossed over them.

_I want to hold you._

“You’re being loud.” His blank-slate expression never faltered, even if a part of his heart swelled when she shot him a pout.

He walked ahead before she could catch sight of his smile.

**Author's Note:**

> William not being able to have Kym's attention and being all ":(" is both the funniest and saddest thing I have seen all week


End file.
